Duplex impression tray



Aug. 10, 1 J. .0. SCHWARTZ DUPLEX IMPRESSION TRAY Filed May 4, 1953 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES OFFICE DUPLEX IMPRESSION TRAY Jacob D. Schwartz, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,608

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dental impression trays.

When a dentist prepares to taken an impression of an upper or lower toothless jaw, he selects from an assortment of various sizes and shapes of impression trays, one which most near- 1y fits that particular jaw on which he is working. Invariably, however, he finds that when the tray fits the labial portion of the jaw, it is too small for the posterior ridges, and conversely when the tray fits the posterior ridges, it is too large for the labial ridge.

One of the reasons for this is that trays in general use today have the labial flange portion in the form of an arc and from both extremities of the arc extend the buccal flanges in the form of tangents, this provides the tray with a channel portion which is substantially of uniform width. The channel portion of a tray is that portion of it which covers the ridges of the jaws. The ridges of the jaws generally, however, are not uniform in width throughout their length. The labial ridge portion of upper or lower jaws are practically always narrower, labio-lingually, than the posterior ridges, in the bucco-lingual aspect. One reason being that the anterior teeth are not as wide, labio-lingually, as the posterior teeth, in their bucco-lingual aspect, and consequently the ridge portions likewise vary in width.

Thus if the labial portion of a tray is too wide for the labial ridge, which is generally the case, the lip, the muscles and the gum tissues will be distended and distorted and an inaccurate impression of the jaw will be the result thereof and the denture fashioned on a cast made from such an impression likewise will be ill-fitting in the patients mouth.

It is therefore among the objects of this invention to provide impression trays having such basic features of construction which will greatly eliminate distortion of the tissues in the mouth and hence produce a more accurate impression of edentulous jaws.

Another object is to provide impression trays which will lessen the time required to select one for an edentulous jaw.

Another object is to provide impression trays which will allow greater freedom to the muscles and tissues in a mouth during the taking of an impression.

These and other objects will become apparent in the following description and drawings, in which like reference characters represent like things in the various views and in which,

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an upper impression tray as provided in this invention,

Figure 2, shows a bottom plan view of an upper impression tray as provided in this invention,

Figure 3, shows a bottom plan view of a lower impression tray as provided in the present invention, and

Figure 4, shows a bottom plan view of a lower impression tray as provided in this invention, being modified from the tray shown in Figure 3.

I prefer to make the trays provided in the present invention a one piece aluminum stamping, they may however, be formed of any other suitable metal or plastic material or may be molded instead.

The trays shown in the with handles drawings are provided 3 for carrying the tray into and out of the mouth and an opening 4 therein, for hanging the tray on a nail extendin from a wall. This feature is not essential to the fundamental operation of the tray and therefore, it may be eliminated entirely or other handling means may be substituted, such as a knob on the underside of the base l.

An observation of the upper tray shown in Fig ure 1, will show that the labial flange portion 5,

extending in an are from the approximate cuspid area on one side of the base to the approximate cuspid area on the opposite side, joins an outwardly extending flange portion 6 at each-extremity thereof, which in turn joins the buccal flanges l which extend to the posterior border 8 of the base I. It may be noted here that it is not essential that the buccal flanges I extend entirely to the posterior border 8. In other words the labial portion of the periphery of the base is non-colinear with the periphery of the buccal portions thereof, that is, the the bucco-labial periphery does not extend throughout its entire length in a continuous forward moving line but is recessed inwardly in the labial portion.

This arrangement makes the tray appear as one fashioned by attaching the labial portion of a relatively small standard tray to the posterior portion of a relatively larger standard tray. Thus when a dentist selects a tray for a particular case, using the trays provided in the present invention, he need only consider the fit of the tray in the labial portion of the jaw that it does not distend the lip or muscles, because the posterior portion of the tray being wider will in practically all cases easily cover the buccal ridges. Thus the time consumed by the dentist in the selection of a tray for a patients jaw is materially and considerably reduced. Furthermore, if the lip and muscles in the important labial portion of the mouth are not distended or restricted to act, a better muscle trimmed impression will result. Tolerance in the fit of a tray is much closed in the labial portion of a mouth than in the posterior portion thereof, and hence if perchance the posterior portion of the tray is wider than required, no great amount of muscle restriction will result. a

After the proper tray is selected, the impression is taken in the usual manner. My experi-- ence with the use of these trays has shown the production of far superior impressions and resultant dentures than when standard trays were used.

The outwardly extending flange portion 6 is shown in the drawings at right angles to the buccal flange I, this however is not a necessary requirement, other angle relationship will do as well.

A notch [9 such as that at H, to allow for freedom of action of tissue attachments may be provided in the cuspid areas of the tray.

Figure 4 shows a bottom plan view of a lower tray as provided in the present invention, and the labial arc portion I?) of the flange is similar in function to the labial arc portion 5 of the upper tray in Figure 1, as explained above, and likewise the outwardly extending flange portion ii and the buccal flange portion l6 extending to the posterior border i i of the base 2. The lower tray however having a lingual flange 18 with an anterior are 55. This flange is the same as is found in standard trays. However; in Figure 3 which is similar in all respects to the tray in Figure 4 except in the lingual flange portion, the arc 94 is recessed to function the same as the labial flange portion Ill.

The base and flanges of the trays provided in this invention may be perforated with a plurality of small openings for the attachment of impression material, the periphery of the flanges may be turned in for easy removal of the im pression or a water jacket may be added for cooling the impression material.

Having described the invention in one of its preferred embodiments, it being clearly understood that other forms may be constructed without departing from the spirit of the invention,

I claim: a

1. In dental impression tray comprising a base having a flange on its bucco-labial periphery, the labial periphery of said base extending in substantially an are from the approximate cuspid area on one side of said base to the approximate cuspid area on the opposite side thereof, and from the extremities of said are,

said bucco-labial periphery extending buccally outward thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base, to form the buccal portions of said bucco-labial periphery.

2. In a dental impression tray comprising a base having a flange on its bucco-labial periphery, the labial periphery of said base extending in substantially an are from the approximate cuspid area on one side of said base to the approximate cuspid area on the opposite side thereof, and from the extremities of said are, said bucco-labi'al periphery extending buccally outward thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base, to form the buccal portions of said bucco labial periphery and means on said tray for carrying same into and out of a patients mouth.

3. In a dental lower impression tray comprising a substantially U-shape base having flanges on its bucco-labial and labio-lingual peripheries, the labial portion of said bucco-labial periphery extending in substantially an are from the approximate cuspid area on one side of said base to the approximate cuspid area on the oppo site side thereof, and from the extremities of said are, said bucco-labial periphery extending buccally outward thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base to form the buccal portions of said bucco-labial periphery and the labial portion of said labio-lingual periphery also having the form substantially of an arc and from the extremities of said are extending distally to the posterior border of said base to form the lingual portions of said labiolingual periphery.

4. In a dental lower impression tray comprising a substantially U-shape base having flanges on its bucco-labial and labio-lingual peripheries, the labial portion of said bucco-labial periphery extending in substantially an are from the approximate cuspid area on one side of said base to the approximate cuspid area on the opposite side thereof, and from the extremities of said arc, said bucco-labial periphery extending buccally outward thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base to form the buccal portions of said bucco-lablal periphery and the iabial portion of said labio-lingual periphery also having the form substantially of an arc and from the extremities of said are extending distally to the posterior border of said base to form the lingual portions of said labio-lingual periphery and means on said tray for carrying same into and out of a patients mouth.

5. In a dental lower impression tray comprising a substantially U-shape base having flanges on its bucco-labial and labio-lingual peripheries, the labial portion of said bucco-labial periphery extending in substantially anarc from the approximate cuspid area on one side of said base to the approximate cuspid area on the opposite side thereof, and from the extremities of said are, said bucco-labial periphery extending buccally outward thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base to form the buccal portions of said bucco-labial periphery and the labial portion of said labio-lingual periphery also having the form substantially of an arc and from the extremities of said are extending lingually, thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base to form the lingual portions of said Fabio-lingual periphery.

6. In a dental impression tray comprising a base having a flange on its bucco-labial periphery, said flange being notched in the approximate cuspid areas to provide space in which muscles may function freely, the labial periphery of said base extending in substantially an are from the approximate cuspid area on one side oi said base to the approximate cuspid area on the opposite side thereof, and from the extremities of said are, said bucco-labial periphery extending buccally outward thence extending distally to the posterior border of said base, to form the buccal portions of said bucco labial periphery.

References Cited in the file 'o-r this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,725,830 Ryerson Aug. 27, 1929 2,043,294.- Kalvin June 9, I936 

